Research on Camera Angles & Camera Moves

CAMERA ANGLES

The term "camera angle" means different things to different people, but it always refers to the way a shot is composed. Some people use it to include all camera shot types, others use it to specifically mean the angle between the camera and the subject, It is the angle of the camera relative to the subject.

Eye-Level: This is the most common view, it shows subjects as we would expect to see them in real life, it is a fairly neutral shot.

High Angle: A high angle shows the subject from above, this has the effect of diminishing the subject, making them appear less powerful, less significant or even submissive.

Low Angle: This shows the subject from below, giving them the impression of being more powerful or dominant.

Bird's Eye

This scene is shown directly above, it can be used for dramatic effect or for showing a different spacial perspective. In drama, it can be used to show the positions and motions of different characters and objects. The bird's eye view is also very useful in sports, documentaries, etc.

Slanted

Also known as a Dutch Tilt, this is where the camera is purposely tilted to one side so the horizon is on an angle. This creates an interesting and dramatic effect. Dutch Tilt is also popular in MTV-style video production, where unusual angles and lots of camera movement play a big part. 

SOME RULES OF FRAMING

- Look for horizontal and vertical lines in the frame.

- The Rule of thirds, this frame divides the frame into nice sections.

- Headroom, looking room, and leading room. These terms refer to the amount of room in the frame which is strategically left empty. Headroom is the amount of the space between the top of the subject and the top of the frame, a common mistake in amateur videos is to have far too much headroom which wasted frame space, there should be very little headroom.

- Everything in your frame is important, not just the subject, background? Lighting? Distraction? or disrupt the continuity of the video? Pay attention to the edges of your frame, avoid having half objects in frame, try not to cut people at the joints such as knees and elbows.

CAMERA MOVES

In the real world, many camera moves use a combination of these techniques simultaneously.

Arc

Arc shot is the camera moves around the subject, somewhat like a tracking shot. The camera moves in a semi-circle around the subject.

(I've personally watched a film involving Arc shot in the film, it is called Eyes Wide Shut, a 1999 drama film,

Film Eyes Wide Shut

This is one of the scenes in the film that has applied arc shot in it, the camera moves around this circle.

Crab

Also called as crabbing shot. The term "crabbing shot" is a less common version of tracking, trucking and/or dollying. These terms are more or less interchangeable.

Dolly

The camera is mounted on a cart which travels along tracks for a very smooth movement. Dolly shots have a number of applications and can provide very dramatic footage. Dolly shot is also known as a tracking shot or trucking shot. However some professionals prefer the rigid terminology which defines dolly as in-and-out movement (closer or further from the subject) and the others tend to mean side-to-side movement.

Dolly Zoom

A technique in which the camera moves closer or further from the subject, while simultaneously adjusting the zoom angle to keep the subject the same size in the frame. The effect is that the subject appears to be stationary while the background changes (this is called background distortion)

Other terminology that the dolly zoom is also known as 

-Hitchcock zoom

-Vertigo zoom or vertigo effect

-Jaws shot

-Trombone shot

-Zolly or Zido

-Telescoping

-Contra-zoom

-Reverse tracking

-Zoom in/dolly out (or vice versa)

This is a video that I found on Youtube, it's Dolly Zoom camera movement sample in some films.

And here is a video about his camera movement techniques, history and how it works, with lots of useful information to understand what a Dolly Zoom is. I had known from this video that the term "vertigo effect" has come from an old film called Vertigo 1958, the reason why dolly zoom has this name to be called; and the director, dr.Alfred Hitchcock got this shot idea when he fainted in a party, and Irmin Roberts the cinematographer who developed this shot with Hitchcock. 

Follow

The camera physically follows the subject at a more or less constant distance.

Pan

Horizontal movement, left or right.

Pedestal (ped)

A pedestal shot means moving the camera vertically with the respect to the subject.

 I've found a video that explains the difference between Pedestal and Tilt, and some very useful techniques how to shoot a pedestal shot with your tripod. 

Tilt

Vertical movement of the camera angle. A variation of the tilt is the pedestal shot, in which the whole camera moves up or down.

Track

Roughly synonymous with the dolly shot, but often defined more specifically as movement which stays a constant distance from the action, especially side-to-side movement.

Truck

Another term for tracking or dollying zoom. Technically this isn't a camera move, but a change in the lens focal length witch gives the illusion of moving the camera closer or further.

Dutch Tilt

A dutch tilt is a camera shot in which the camera angle is deliberately slanted to one side, This can be used for dramatic effect, and helps the portray unease, distraction, frantic or desperate action, intoxication, madness etc. Also known as dutch angle, camera angle, oblique angle, canted angle and even the Batman angle. Etymology: The dutch tilt was used a lot in German films in 1930's and 1940's. This is where the name German Angle came from, The Dutch term is said to have been a mistranslation the German Deutsch

Research on Cinematography & Camera Shot

Cinematography

Cinematography is the art or science of the motion pictures photography, it is the technique of movie photography, including both the shooting and development of the film, the cinematographer could also be referred to as the film director's main visual collaborator.

(Resource from Wikipedia)

Camera Shot Types

There is a convention in the video, film and television industries which assigns names and guidelines to common types of shots, framing and the picture composition.

EWS, Extreme Wide Shot

The view is so far from the subject that he/she isn't even visible. Often used as an establishing shot.

In the extreme wide shot, the view so far from the subject, that he/she isn't even visible, The point of this shot is to show the subjects surroundings. The EWS is often used as an "establishing shot"-the first shot of a new scene, designed to show the audience where the action is taking place. It is also useful in the scenes where the action is very spread out, for example, in a war movie an extreme wide shot can show the scale of the action. The EWS is also known as extra long shot.

VWS, Very Wide Shot

The subject is barely visible. Often used as an establishing shot.

The very wide shot is much closer to the subject, than an extreme wide shot, but still much further away than a wide shot, the subject is visible here but only just, the emphasis is very much on placing him in his environment. This often works as an establishing shot, in which the audience is shown the hole setting so they can orient themselves. The VWS also allows plenty of room for action to take place, or for multiple subjects to appear on screen.

WS, Wide Shot

The subject takes up the full frame, or at least as much as comfortably possible. AKA: long shot, full shot.

In the wide shot, the subject takes up the full frame. Giving some small amount of room above and bellow the subject can be thought of as safety room. As with many shot types, the wide shot means different things to different people.

MS, Mid Shot

Shows some part of the subject in more detail while still giving an impression of the who subject.

The mid shot shows some part of the subject in more detail, whilst still showing enough for the audience to feel as if they were looking at the whole subject. In fact, this is an approximation of how you would see a person "in the flesh" if you were having casual conversation, their lower body part of the picture is unnecessary. The mid shot is appropriate when the subject is speaking without too much emotion or intense concentration. It also works as well when the intend is to deliver information, which is why it is frequently used by television news presenters. You will often see a story begin with a MS shot of the reporter (providing information) followed by closer shots of interview subjects(providing emotions and reactions) As well as being a comfortable, emotionally neutral shot, the mid shot allows room for hand gestures and a bit of movement.

MCU, Medium Close Up

Half way between a MS and CU. The medium close up is a half way between a mid shot and close-up shot. This shot shows the face more clearly, without getting uncomfortably close.

CU, Close Up

A certain feature or part of the subject takes up the whole frame.

In a close up shot, a certain feature or part of the subject takes up most of the frame. A close up of  a person usually means a close up of their face (unless specified otherwise) Close ups are obviously useful for showing detail and also can be used as a cut-in. A close up of a person emphasizes their emotional state, whereas a mid shot or wide shot is more appropriate for delivering facts and general information, a close up exaggerates facial expressions which covey emotion. The viewer is drawn into the subject's personal space and shares their feelings.

ECU, XCU, Extreme Close Up

The ECU gets right in and shows extreme details.

The EXC (also known as XCU) gets right in and shows extreme details. You would normally need a specific reason to get this close. It is too close to show general reactions or emotion except in very dramatic scenes.

Cut-In

Shows some other part of the subject in detail.

Like a cut away, but specially refers to showing some part of the subject in detail. Can be used purely as an edit point or to emphasize emotion etc. For example, hand movements can show enthusiasm agitation, nervousness etc.

CA, Cut Away

A shot of something other than the subject. A cut away is a shot that's usually something other than the current action, it could be a different subject, a close up of a different part of the subject or just about anything else. The cutaway is used as a "buffer" between shots (to help the editing process) or to add interest/information .

Two Shot

A shot of two people framed similarly to a mid shot. There are a few variations on this one, but the basic idea is to have a comfortable shot of two people. Often used in interviews or when two presenters are hosting a show. A "one shot" could be a mid shot of their of these subjects. A "threeshot" contains three people. A two shot could also involve the movement of action. It is a good way to follow the interaction between two people without getting distracted by their surroundings.

OSS, Over Shoulder Shot

Looking behind a person at the subject. This shot is framed from behind a person who is looking at the subject. The person facing the subject should usually occupy about 1/3 of the frame. This shot helps to establish the position of each person, and get the feel of looking at one person from the other's point of view. It's common to cut between these shots during a conversation, alternating the view between the different speakers. This shot can be varied quite a bit to include the shoulder or back of a person facing the subject.

POV, Point Of View Shot

Shows a view from the subject's perspective. It is usually edited in such a way that it is obvious whose POV it is.

Weather Shot

The subject is the weather, can be used for other purpose, e.g. background of graphics. In this type of shot the subject is weather. The sky takes up 2/3 of the frame, This type of shot is common in television programs   where the weather is particular interest. Although the usual purpose of this shot is to show the weather. It is also useful as an establishing shot, for setting the general mood or for overlaying graphics. A weather shot doesn't have to show the sky. Other shots often used to illustrate the weather include: puddles, people sunbathing or snow man etc.

Noddy Shot

Common in interviews, this is a shot of a person listening and reacting to the subject. The noddies are edited into the interview later.

(Resource from www.mediacollege.com )

Storyboarding (Research and sample analysis)

STORYBOARD
Storyboards are graphic organizers in the form of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation motion graphic or interactive media sequence.
The story boarding process in the form it is known today, was developed at the Walt Disney studio during the early 1930's, after several years of similar processes being in used at Walt Disney and other animation studios. Storyboards are now an essential part of creation progress.

USAGE
1, Film: a film storyboard is essentially a large comic of the film or some sections of the film produced beforehand to help film directors, cinematographers and television commercial advertising clients visualize the scenes and find potential problems before they occur. Often storyboards include arrows or instructions that indicate movement.
In creating a motion picture with any degree of fidelity to a script, a story board provides a visual lay out of  events as they are to be seen through the camera lens.
2, Theater: a common misconception is that storyboards are not used in theater, they are frequently special tools that directors and playrights  use to understand the layout of the scene.
3, Animatics
4, Photomatix
5. Comic books
6, Business
7, Novels
8, Interactive media
9, Software

CREATION
Storyboards for films are created in a multiple step process. They can be created by hand drawing or digitally on a computer. The main characteristics of a storyboard are:

Visualize the storytelling.

Focus the story and the timing in several key frames.

Define the the technical parameter description of the motion, the camera, the lighting etc.
(Source from Wikipedia)

What is a story board?
Once a concept or script is written for a film or animation the next step is to make a storyboard. A storyboard visually tells the story panel by panel, kind of like a comic book.
Storyboards should/will convey some of the following information:
What characters are in the frame, and how are they moving?
What are the characters saying to each other, if anything?
How much time has passed between the last frame of the storyboard and the current one?
Where the camera is in the scene? Close or faraway? Is the camera moving?

Why make a storyboard?
Creating a story will help you plan your animation and story shot by shot. You can make changes to your storyboard, before you start animating, instead of changing your mind later, you will also be able to talk about your animation or stories and show your storyboard to other people to get feedback on your ideas.

How to make a storyboard?
Storyboards are drawn in pencil, you can also take photos or use computer to make your storyboards. The drawings don't have to be fancy, use basic shapes, stick figures and simple backgrounds.

Storyboard Language
Close-up: A close range of distance between the camera and the subject.
Dissolve: A transition between 2 shots, where the shot fades away and simultaneously another shot fades in.
Fade: A transition from a shot to black where the image gradually becomes darker is a Fade Out, or from black where the image gradually becomes brighter is a Fade In.
High Camera Angle: A camera angle which looks down on its subject make it look small, weak or unimportant.
Jump Cut: A rapid, jerky transition from one frame to the next, either disrupting the flow of time or movement with in a scene or making an abrupt transition from one scene to another.
Level Camera Angle: A camera angle which is even with the subject, it may be used as a neutral shot.
Long Shot: A long range of distance between the camera and the subject, often providing a boarder range of setting.
Low Camera Angle: A camera angle which looks up at its subject, it makes the subject seem important, and powerful.
PAN: A steady, sweeping movement from one point in the scene to another.
POV: (Point of View Shot) A shot which is understood to be seen from the point of view of a character within a scene.
Reaction Shot: A shot of someone looking off screen. A reaction shot also can be a shot of someone in a conversation where they are not given a line of dialogue but are just listening to the other person speak.
Tilt: Using a camera on a tripod, the camera moves up or down to follow the action.
Zoom: Use of camera lens to make closely towards the subjects.
(Resource from : www.accad.osu.edu )

Storyboard Examples

Jane Animation Project - Hunting Sequence

This storyboard is an unusual layout to me, it's got one frame in one line, but with very clear description next to the frames such as how camera moves and which angles. The drawing of the frames are simple and easy-understandable as well.

A simple storyboard made using stick figures

This is a very simple storyboard, the frames are drawn with single lines and shows the figure of the subjects and the surroundings, with the explanation and description around  the frames, it should be considered as the first draft of the storyboard.

A storyboard for a TV Western

This storyboard is still very easy-understandable even though there's no context descriptions in it, because the frames are drawn in the details of the character's movements and camera angle with arrows to describe the character moving directions.

(Sample resource from http://accad.osu.edu/womenandtech/Storyboard%20Resource/)